Remembering soldiers’ service, sacrifice

By Ed Mahon

It’s a tradition the American Legion Keystone Post 444, of Millheim, began in the early 1980s. The ceremonies don’t attract a large following. Once on Sunday, they performed the service in front of about 25 parishioners at Salem United Church of Christ. But often, the 19 caravan members were the only ones at the gravesites

CDT/Michelle Bixby

Jimmy Brown, of Hampton's Battery F fires the cannon during memorial services at cemeteries throughout Penns Valley Sunday, May 24, 2009. CDT/Michelle Bixby.

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In either case, the goal — to ensure that the service and sacrifice of veterans is not forgotten — was carried out all the same.

“Some you knew. Some are strangers. But they all deserve to be honored,” said Carl Royer, a Korean War veteran and grandfather of blond-haired Zach Royer.

Zach’s father is also a veteran. As an Army reservist, Shane Royer was twice called up for active duty: in 1990 for the Gulf War and in 2003 for the Iraq war.

“There were a lot of guys that didn’t come back,” said Shane Royer, who

Ed Mahon | emahon@centredaily.com GREGG TOWNSHIP — Zach Royer, 6, stood with his hands folded behind his back at Heckman Cemetery.

His grand-uncle, Ken Royer, leaned over and pushed the boy’s elbows up, so they stood a little straighter. The two shared a grin, before proceeding with the memorial service.

They were part of a caravan that included 19 people, six vehicles, seven guns and one bugle. And they spent Sunday morning and afternoon traveling to 21 cemeteries, paying tribute to 691 veterans.

spent eight months in Kuwait and four months at the Balad Air Base north of Baghdad. “I was one of the lucky ones that did.”

After each memorial service — which included a 21-gun salute — Zach Royer would dash to pick up as many spent shell casings as he could. American Legion members brought a metal detector with them to help with that

task; and they’d joke with Zach, calling him “Private Royer,” and point out casings he missed.

The mood was at times playful, at times solemn, but mostly business-like. They had a lot of ground to cover.

Their first service began at 9 a.m. in Miles Township, followed by another one 15 minutes later. Most services took about 21/ 2 minutes. Most of the gravesites were

off state routes 192 or 45, but some were found on backroads surrounded on all sides by farmland.

Carol Clark-Baney, the post commander, began each service with the same remarks. “May the ceremonies of today deepen your reverence of our dead and let us renew our pledge of loyalty to our country and its flag,” she said.

A prayer followed. Then Ken Royer, who served as a radar navigator on a B-52 bomber during the Vietnam War, signaled for the 21-gun salute. At some sites, that was followed by a single cannon blast courtesy of Hampton’s Battery F. A performance of taps on the bugle followed.

Occasionally, Zach Royer would stand in line with the veterans, holding a toy gun. Other times he stood next to his grand-uncle, with his right hand raised in salute.

After one service at a Millheim cemetery off of state Route 45, Shane Royer headed in the opposite direction of the caravan. His destination was the grave of Dennis L. Graham, a Vietnam veteran who was born Sept. 10, 1942, and died Jan. 7, 2007.

The medallion at Graham’s gravesite — which listed Graham’s years of military service — had tilted. In the weeks prior to Sunday’s ceremonies, Royer’s Legion post had placed similar markers next to 691 graves, including Graham’s.

“There,” Royer said, after he rotated the marker into place and headed back toward his group.

It was a little after noon on Sunday, and he had eight more cemeteries to go.

Ed Mahon can be reached at 231-4619.